NEWBURGH, NY – Thanks to an excellent all-around effort, the Mount Saint Mary College men's soccer team earned three valuable points in the Skyline Conference standings by defeating the defending conference champions, Old Westbury, by a score of 2-1. The Blue Knights improved to 4-7 overall and to 3-1 in conference play while the Panthers dropped to 3-6 overall and to 1-2 in the Skyline.
Old Westbury opened the scoring in the 20th minute when junior Fabian Santibanez (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) converted a free kick from 25 yards out. The shot from Santibanez knuckled as it went over the Mount Saint Mary wall and tucked in nicely at the far post to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Knights were quick to respond, however, tying the game in the 25th minute. Senior
Nick Morse (New Milford, Conn.) found freshman
Agustin Ponce (Buenos Aries, Argentina) with a diagonal ball near the top of the box and Ponce ripped a shot that found the netting just inside the far post. It was the second goal for Ponce in as many games.
In the 38th minute, junior
John Como (Wingdale, N.Y.) tallied what would turn out to be the game-winner. After receiving a nice touch pass from senior
Jon Gasiewski (New Milford, Conn.) near the top of the box, Como released a perfect shot that went over the goalkeeper's fingertips before sneaking in just under the crossbar.
Junior goalkeeper
Paul Aries (Nashua, N.H.) was solid for the entire game and came up huge in the final five minutes, turning away the leading goal scorers for the Panthers three times. Aries made a diving stop on a Santibanez shot in the 87th minute and then stopped back-to-back shots from senior John Senatore (Ridge, N.Y.) in the 88th and 89th minutes to preserve the 2-1 victory. Aries finished with nine saves on the afternoon.
Concluding their five-game homestand, Mount Saint Mary will host the College of Staten Island in non-conference action this Thursday at 7:00 p.m. The Blue Knights jump back into Skyline play next Saturday when they travel to Purchase College for a 1:00 p.m. start.
